Abstract
In recent decades, the construction industry has advanced in its use of natural green resources, such as vegetable fibers (e.g., flax, hemp, jute, etc.) added in concrete mixtures, to create building materials that are both economically and environmentally sustainable. The pricing, low energy cost, and environmental sustainability of these natural fibers are driving this interest. The quantity of fibers and the ratio of fiber length to its transverse diameter (aspect ratio) are critical characteristics that have a decisive impact on concrete’s mechanical qualities. The influence of the aspect ratio of Arundo donax fibers on the tensile characteristics of concrete blocks was specifically investigated in this study. These fibers were collected from the outer section of the stem of this plant, which grows commonly in Mediterranean locations, but that is also found all over the world. Experiments were carried out on cylindrical concrete blocks with a constant amount of fiber (1 percent by weight) and different aspect ratios: 30, 50, and 70 (mm/mm) respectively, to assess their tensile strength, even when compared with concrete blocks without any fiber addition. Tensile tests on Arundo donax fibers were also conducted, with the aim to contribute to the analysis of their interaction with cementitious matrices, and to assess differences between the various compositions. The results showed a direct impact of the aspect ratio on the final tensile strength of concrete blocks, with higher aspect ratios producing superior tensile properties.
Highlights
The use of natural fibers in construction—a technology used since ancient Egypt, with a history of more than 5000 years—is one of the most effective and promising solutions that may effectively increase in the sustainability of buildings in the modern era, contributing to the implementation of the concept of Bioarchitecture
Arundo donax fibers reported in terms average value for the specimens, with the corresponding confidence interval acthe average value for the 10 specimens, with the corresponding 95% confidence interval cording to Figure shows the relationship between the apaccording to ISO 22157:2019 [89], where as Figure 7 shows the relationship between the plied load applied loadand andthe theresulting resultingfiber fiberelongation
Out,ititwas wasfound found that these natural fibers have a remarkably high tensile strength before their yield that these natural fibers have a remarkably high tensile strength before their yieldpoint, point, especiallyififwe weconsider consider that ordinary steel used for construction, the reference especially that forfor an an ordinary steel used for construction, the reference value
Summary
The use of natural fibers in construction—a technology used since ancient Egypt, with a history of more than 5000 years—is one of the most effective and promising solutions that may effectively increase in the sustainability of buildings in the modern era, contributing to the implementation of the concept of Bioarchitecture. Concrete has traditionally been regarded as one of the most cost-effective building materials due to its low cost, availability, long durability, ease of shaping and sizing, capacity to withstand adverse weather conditions, and excellent compressive strength [3,4,5]. Material reinforced with natural fibers is the oldest form of composite material which, has always been obtained, at low cost, from materials present in nature, using local labor and technology and with reduced energy consumption. Due to these characteristics, the use of natural fibers as a form of concrete reinforcement is of particular interest for less-developed regions, where building materials have high costs and require the use of skilled labor
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